This study of the reading process was written by a librarian for other librarians in order to explore what happens as the end result of the librarian's job, the meeting of a person and a book. A model of the reading act is constructed which makes the reader the subject rather than the receiver, as in the communications model of "transmitter through message to receiver." The six stages of this reading model are indicated in the chapter headings, Who is the reader? What does the reader want? What is the text? How do the reader and the text come together? What is the nature of the reading? and What ensues from the reading? Librarians are encouraged to use increased knowledge of the reading process as it relates to the reader to improve their services. (MKM)